Hallenburg Castle

The exact construction period of Hallenburg is unknown, but evidence from the early 12th century suggests a dominion around the castle. The current ruin may have been built on older foundations in the early 13th century, after Emperor Otto IV destroyed castles in the region in 1212. A first documentary mention occurred in 1228. From 1232, the dynastic rule of the Lords of Hallenberg ended with its acquisition by the County of Henneberg. The castle subsequently served as a residence, administrative, and judicial seat. After the division of the Henneberg comital house in 1274, Hallenburg fell to the Henneberg-Hartenberg line, which mortgaged it to the Lords of Bibra in 1374. After the extinction of the Hartenberg line, the castle passed to Henneberg-Aschach in 1391.